We are all Riverdale
by NyGi
Summary: Short little fic in three parts that takes up right where the show left off, with Betty and Jughead discussing their issues and dealing with the coming weeks.
1. The one with the lie

Right. Hi! For the past two weeks, Riverdale refused to leave my head, so I caved and decided to write this. It's probably going to be three parts, dealing with Fred Andrews being shot, the social tensions in Riverdale and Polly's twins.

Maybe someone will enjoy this weird little story :)

(In case someone got here from my HP/MCU story: No worries, I am working on that, but my Beta is on vacation. In New York actually... and I can't continue without her. She'd kill me.)

On another note: I am dyslexic and by beta is AWOL, so I apologize for the typos you will find. I am rubbish at proofreading.

 **The one with the lie**

Jughead Jones closed the door almost without a sound. He had enough practice with that. Years of it, really.

Betty was sitting on the couch, her pink coat draped closely around her. And, Jughead noticed with a slight tinge of worry, her ponytail back in place. She was looking at him with that look of guarded worry he had hoped never to see directed at him.

"I couldn't turn them away.", he told her. His voice sounded way too loud inside the quiet trailer. He could hear the rain pour down outside.

"Why?", she asked, her voice oddly monotone.

"You don't live on the South Side and just turn the Serpents away.", the lie left a sour taste in his mouth. He didn't lie to Betty. Or at least he had thought he didn't. And now here he was.

Her wide eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You are a terrible liar, Jughead Jones.", she informed him icely.

"Actually I am really not. You just know me too well.", he tried to lighten the mood. It didn't work. His fingers were aching to stretch out towards his trusted hat. But he couldn't. Couldn't move. Couldn't say anything. Not with Betty still looking at him, like… like… he didn't even know how to put it in words.

Finally he caved and grabbed the hat from behind him. He didn't even need to look. He knew where it was. He always did.

No one said anything.

Not ten minutes ago they had been happy, safe with each other and about to… well, it didn't matter now. A biker gang knocking at your door kinda killed the mood.

Betty was still looking at him searchingly.

Say something, he told himself, say something before she walks out on you.

"You are right. I am sorry. I could have said no. They don't force you to join. That wouldn't exactly inspire loyalty."

"Then why did you accept?", Jughead was shocked to discover the traces of tears in her eyes, "When Archie told me about your Dad being a Serpent, you said you were ashamed of that. You said, you didn't want me to know. And now you become one?"

"Many reasons.", he admitted, "Some I can tell you. Some I… don't. I am really sorry, Betty, I shouldn't have lied. And I promise I won't do it again. Ever. Not to you. But I can't tell you everything, either."

Her gaze was calculating. He could actually see the wheels turning behind her eyes.

"I accept.", she finally told him, as if this was a business meeting, "But I also want you to know that you CAN tell me everything."

He had to swallow at that.

Betty. His impossible Betty.

"I tried to go the other way. Write. Get out of here. But there comes the point where we all have to admit that we have reached the end of the path."

"I told you: we won't give up! It doesn't matter what they say, Juggie. We talked about this."

"I am tired, Betty. Just this once I really need a break. I am tired."

She got up and the scared little voice in his head expected her to walk out on him. Instead she hugged him close, her arms finding their way under his new jacket. Her head resting on his chest.

"I should have said no. We should have taken a bus somewhere and just left this town behind."

"I want to.", he could feel her laughing into his shirt, "But we can't. Our families are here."

He almost told her 'You are the only family I have', but it felt pathetic even to his own ears. He had always hated it when someone said something like that in a book or a movie. 'You are all I have' they would say and he would laugh. Now he didn't feel like laughing anymore.

They moved over to the couch, Betty still half clinging to him, and set down.

"You do realize that you have family here, right?", she suddenly asked and Jughead tensed, "I am your family. Archie and his Dad are, too. I am even fairly certain my mother would scratch someone's eyes out, if it meant defending you."

"Your mother doesn't need a reason to scratch someone's eyes out.", he tried to quip, but he couldn't ignore the sudden wave of warmth in his chest.

"He is family.", the Serpents had claimed, and Jughead wouldn't deny that it had felt good. He belonged with them. He belonged SOMEWHERE. They weren't kicking him out. Banishing him to another home. Another school. They wanted HIM.

His phone vibrated angrily, he angled for it with trepidation.

It was his foster father. He switched the phone off completely.

"I don't think I can deal with anyone but you tonight.", he admitted. Betty pulled out her phone as well and switched it off. "Agreed."

He didn't even realize when or how it happened, but at some point both their jackets were on the floor, he was laying on his side, Betty nestled in between him and the couch's back. Safe. Keep her safe, he thought, protect her.

The Serpents might be able to help with that as well. They couldn't fight the whole world by themselves, they needed people in their corner and right now he would take almost anyone.

"Juggie?", she whispered, her voice sleepy and almost inaudible, "Will you tell me before you have to do something stupid?"

"So you can prepare my alibi?", he asked her and she chuckled quietly.

"So we can take my college money and get out of town."

"Your family is here.", he told her, almost mirroring her words from before. Almost.

"We all have to grow up sometime.", she simply told him instead.

She yawned and reached up to let her hair out of its confinement. Slowly Jughead pulled his hat down as well.

They fell asleep like that on the couch. Both their defenses down for the night.

Although it was anything but roomy on the couch, Jughead slept longer and much better than he had in months. Maybe ever.

Betty was still breathing softly into his chest, when he woke and he tried not to disturb her, but he really needed the bathroom so he carefully disentangled himself from his girlfriend's arms. She woke slowly, smiling up at him.

"I'll go and have a look at the fridge.", she told him, as he made his way to the small bathroom. While washing his hands, he stared at his reflection in the small mirror. The dark circles under his eyes, so familiar, had almost vanished. Sleep, he thought, really did make a difference. And, yes, both his foster family and the new school weren't as horrible, as he had feared. And the Serpents had his back… and he was hopeful now, that Betty wouldn't just leave him. She loved him. And he would continue to tell himself that until even that little, scared voice inside his head, believed it.

There was a knock on the door, determined, but not as forceful as the night before.

This time, he thought, it had to be Alice Cooper.

He could hear Betty moving towards the door. He had been about to get dressed and was now weighing his options. Running out in boxers and a shirt? If it was Alice Cooper? Or potentially leaving Betty with the someone else coming to see him. His dilemma became rather unimportant, when he heard the unmistakable sound of a plastic bowl hitting the floor.

He swung the door open in a hurry. Danny, one of the boys living around the trailer park, was standing outside the door, looking at Betty with a somewhat unexpected look of respect. But that didn't concern Jughead then and there. Betty had turned around and was looking at him, her face ashen. He could feel his heart stopping.

"Julius send me over.", Danny told him carefully, "He tried calling you, but you wouldn't pick up."

"What is it?", Jughead asked, slowly walking towards Betty, who was still staring at him wide eyed.

"Someone robbed Pop's this morning. They said Fred Andrews was shot. We know you lived with him for a while, so Julius thought you'd need to know."

Jughead could feel his insides turning to ice. No. No. No, was all that was running through his head. Danny's words seemed to kick Betty into action, though. She almost crashed into Jughead on her way to the kitchen, grabbing both their phones in the process. Jughead turned around, ran back to the bathroom and found his pants. Stumbling back into the living-area, Betty was standing there, her coat on, hair back in her usual ponytail and keys and phones in hand. Jughead grabbed his hat and followed her out the door, not even bothering to lock it. No one would dare break in anyway. Not before and certainly not now. He felt weird, like his head was full of cotton. Mr Andrews. Shot. Hospital. Right. How to get there?

His Dad's car was still parked outside the trailer. Ah, he thought, the keys Betty had grabbed. She remembered. He hurried towards the driver door, but Betty stopped him in her tracks, grabbing his hand.

"Juggie…", she started, "No, I'll drive."

He stared at her without really seeing her.

"You can't drive, Juggie.", she repeated and looked down at their joint hands. He was shaking, he realized with a start, shaking like a leave.

Shock, the reasonable part of his brain was telling him.

He walked around the car silently, Betty hurrying into the seat. He could hear her cursing, trying to adjust the seat of that old thing.

Jughead put his seatbelt on and Betty started the car. Vaguely he could see Danny watching them. No one said anything. Betty steered them towards the hospital, when Jughead felt the world around him return with sudden force. It was the strangest thing that had ever happened to him. Like all noise, all smell and thought returned at once.

"You got the phones?", he asked Betty. She looked at him questioningly, as if she was trying to determine his mental state. Which she probably was.

"Sorry for zoning out.", he told her, shame flooding through him.

She carefully placed her hand on his.

"It's okay. That's what a partnership is for, as long as it's only one of us at a time.", she gave him a tired smile and despite his worry and fear, he couldn't't help but smile back. Partnership.

Betty took her hand back to shift gears, then reached into her coat and took out both their phones, handing them to him. He switched his on first, waiting impatiently.

He desperately wanted to tell Betty it would be okay, but they had both been through too much, to take comfort in lies.

The number of missed calls was easily in the double digits, so Jughead didn't bother with them, choosing his four new messages instead.

He pressed the speaker and waited impatiently. The first one was Martin, his new foster father.

"Jughead? I know you are not a little kid and… well, you have been independent for a while. So we don't realistically expect you to be home early or… well, we know you have a girlfriend, so you might stay out. But please at least call us or leave a message. Carrie sleeps easier that way. Stay safe. Bye."

Jughead swallowed heavily. Normally he would have felt guilty, Martin and Carrie were good people, but right now there really wasn't enough room for that. Betty started nervously clapping on the steering wheel. The next message was from early in the morning. Veronica's voice sounded hollow over the phone's small speaker.

"Jughead? I can't reach you or Betty… it's… something happened. I don't… You should come to the hospital."

Betty's hands got faster. Her eyes trained on the street. Unblinking. The next message was from Veronica as well: "Juggie?"

Jughead froze in sudden horror. Veronica had never, ever called him that. No, he thought, just no. He could hear the tears in her voice.

"Archie really needs you guys. I know you have probably both switched your phones off and this won't help, but… I don't know what else to do. Please. Please be there."

Betty led out a heavy sob, trying to hold back tears. Jughead wanted to hug her, hold her and maybe cry a little as well, but they were driving and Archie… they had to get to Archie.

The last message was maybe an hour old and, to Jughead's big surprise, by Alice Cooper.

"Jughead, I am leaving this message with my daughter as well. Once you get this, don't go to the hospital. We have taken Archie back home."

There was no greeting, no explanation, but it was all they had both needed.

Archie wasn't at the hospital any more. They both knew what that meant. Tears were now freely falling down Betty's cheek. Turning the car around to head home, she was angrily brushing them out of her own eyes.

"He's dead.", she stated the words Jughead kept repeating in his mind, "He is dead. Oh God."

They reached the Cooper House five minutes later. Sheriff Keller's car was parked in front of it. Betty took Jughead's hand, as they walked up to the door. She had both tried to get rid of all signs of tears on her face, but they both knew it hadn't worked.

They walked through the door together. The first thing Jughead saw, was Alice Cooper standing tall and rigid behind the couch both Archie and Veronica were seated on. She was watching Sheriff Keller, who was sitting on the opposite couch, like a hawk. Archie, pale and scarily fragile looking, was staring at his hands, with Veronica's arm around his shoulders and her head resting on one of them. It looked like an almost hug.

Betty let go of Jughead's hand and fell to her knees in front of Archie, taking his hand.

"I am so sorry, Archie. So sorry that we weren't there for you."

Jughead could see Archie giving her a tired smile. He walked over to stand besides Mrs Cooper and put his hand on his best friend's left shoulder. He could somehow feel at least some of the tension there leaving.

Betty set down on the floor, her back pressed into his legs. They looked like a bubble, a wall all around Archie, Jughead realized. Him, Betty, Veronica and, yes, Mrs Cooper.

"I am sorry, son. I know this must be hard, but there are still some things we need to talk about.", Sheriff Keller told Archie, who looked too tired and worn to even sit, let alone answer questions.

"Archie here has already answered all your questions.", Mrs Cooper told the Sheriff sternly. Jughead could see Betty's head turning at her mother in confusion. Was her mom PROTECTING Archie?!

The Sheriff completely ignored her though.

"Archie, is there anything you can tell me about the attacker? Something that struck you about his appearance… his clothes… maybe a tattoo? Possibly of a snake?", his eyes landed on Jughead, as he asked that last part and he felt his legs turn to lead.

"No.", was Archie's only reply, but Betty was sitting up straighter now.

Oh no, Jughead thought, please don't.

"What kind of question even is that?"

"One I need to ask.", the Sheriff told her with an annoyed sort of voice, that made even Jughead feel like the Sheriff was trying to talk to a toddler.

"I know this seems to go beyond everything you seem to believe nowadays, but you can't pin everything horrible happening in this town on the Serpents!", Betty's voice sounded like pure acid. Like her mother, actually, Jughead thought with a start.

"This is no time for your personal quarrel, Miss Cooper."

"I am not the one with the vendetta."

Veronica groaned, her free hand briefly touching Betty's shoulder, but his girlfriend was on fire now. She had been for a while now and him joining the Serpents could not have improved matters.

"Miss Cooper, I follow where the evidence leads me."´, Keller told her icely.

"Doubtful. But that evidence you claim to have pointing towards the Serpents, I would really like to see it.", Mrs Cooper joined her daughter and Jughead turned his head to look at her in wonder.

"With what happened at Thorn Hill last night, we are following every possible lead.", the Sheriff looked more annoyed than angry now. Jughead suspected he might leave soon, try and get away from the angry, protective Cooper-Women. He didn't even blame him.

"What happened at Thorn Hill?", Jughead couldn't hide the alarm in his voice. Cheryl. They shouldn't have left Cheryl on her own.

"Arson. Someone burned the place down.", Veronica explained, "Everyone got out okay, though."

"It's were Polly and my husband are right now.",Mrs Cooper added, looking at Jughead with a calculating gaze he knew all too well by now, "Polly wanted to make sure Cheryl was alright."

"It's no coincidence that those two things happened in the same night.", Keller told them almost stubbornly, but Jughead didn't really believe that. This didn't sound right. None of these things did.

"Archie has answered all your questions. Come back tomorrow, if you must.", Mrs Cooper told him coldly, "Archie will be here. Or next door, if he feels more like it."

In response Archie's head actually turned to look at his best friend's mother.

"Here?", he asked her, sounding slightly dazed.

"Naturally. Sadly I can only offer you a couch, but we will not leave you on your own.", with that she turned abruptly and moved towards the front door, still open since neither of them had bothered to close it. The cold air felt like a relief within the heavy atmosphere of the room.

Mrs Cooper pulled the door open even wider and looked at the Sheriff pointedly.

"I will be back.", he told them, but Jughead suspected it was more a show of authority than anything else.

The door fell shut with a loud bang and silence fell over the living room. No one spoke, no one moved.

"Right.", Mrs Cooper began, "Who would like some pancakes?"

Archie's shoulders started to shake and he buried his head in Veronica's neck.

At some point Jughead actually managed to call Carrie and Martin. They had heard about the shooting and already expected him to be with Archie. Riverdale was a small town after all, but they were grateful that he'd called.

Mr Cooper hadn't looked extremely happy at the prospect of having his daughter's boyfriend staying on one of their couches, but apparently he didn't think it worth to pick a fight over with his wife, who seemed oddly resolved to keep both Archie and Jughead with them. And so Jughead found himself on a couch again, although a much more expansive and comfortable one. Archie was snoring softly on the other couch, pure mental exhaustion had thankfully granted him an early night. Veronica, although looking quite reluctant had left after the strange, sad dinner they had all shared. Now most people inside the Cooper House were asleep, only Jughead was still lying awake, staring up towards the ceiling. He had gained the ability to sleep everywhere at any time, a necessary skill, when one was essentially homeless, but tonight the blissful relief wouldn't come. Maybe because he had slept so much the night before. Maybe because his thoughts were just racing way too fast for him to stop them. He was so tired, right down to the bones. But his mind… his mind was determined to play any and all horror scenarios he could come up with.

Everything was going up in flames. Yesterday evening they had all been sitting at Pop's. Yes, he was in a foster family. Yes, he had had to switch schools. Yes, the social tensions around them were almost touchable via their hands… but they had been so happy nonetheless. And now? Nothing was certain anymore. And Fred Andrews, truly the one adult he had kind of dared to trust in lately, was dead. And the world just wasn't the same anymore.

There was a soft noise behind him. Steps falling down the stairs. Jughead tensed on instinct, until he saw Betty stepping into the soft light by the outside streetlamp.

He reflexively skidded back towards the far end of the lying surface, lifting his heavy blanket and letting Betty slip in. She didn't actually say anything, not a single word, but she did bury her face in his chest again, like she had done only the night before and without Jughead even noticing, they both fell asleep.

They all woke with a start the next moment, when the doorbell rang loudly and somewhat urgently. Poor Betty, startled at the sudden noise, fell off the couch, cursing loudly. Hal Cooper was down the stairs, before either of the three teens downstairs had really registered what was going on, his face grim and worried, but he didn't comment on his younger daughter's presence, instead carefully opening the door.

Archie's Mum was standing there. Suitcase in hand, her face as pale as Archie's had been the day before. She gave Mr Cooper a friendly, apologetic smile, before her eyes found her son. Leaving it to Mr Cooper to close the door, she hurried over and took Archie into her arms, muttering things Jughead couldn't and didn't want to understand. Betty took his hand and let him into the kitchen, as her father went back upstairs to give mother and son some room.

"Coffee?", Betty asked him as they reached the counter, "I think we might all need some this morning."

"You don't drink coffee.", he told her.

"Then I will call mine milk and sugar with a little dose of coffee."

They set in silence for a couple of minutes. Jughead was almost surprised how comfortable it was. No need to talk. No need to explain. They were good like this.

The door opened and Mrs Andrew stuck her head in.

"Morning, you two.", she smiled sadly at them, "Sorry for waking you. I just didn't… well, I couldn't wait."

"That's quite alright, Mrs Andrews.", Betty squeezed Jughead's hand lying on the table, "And we are really sorry for your loss." We, Jughead thought, we.

Jughead got up to hide his brief happy smile and to get a cup of coffee for Archie's mom, when she walked up to him, took the cup out of his hand and placed it on the counter.

"Jughead", she started, then bit her lip nervously, before embracing him. Her warm, strong arms around him, he could vaguely hear what she was telling him, but the words didn't seem that important really.

"I know you loved him. And I know he loved you, too. He was so sad, he couldn't officially take you in."

Jughead felt a big lump in his throat and when he felt her softly stroking his back, he started to cry for Fred Andrews.


	2. The one with the new normal

Hello again! I decided to split the next part, because the chapter would have been way too long otherwise... and that always annoys me when reading, because I don't know where to take a break. So this is storyarc 2.1... or something :)

 **The one with the new normal**

Normal had lost all meaning. Normal was an idea, a construct Jughead Jones didn't understand anymore. What was normal?

As a child he had thought his life to be normal, the other kids were weird.

It took some time, TV and a lot of books, before he had realized that he was the strange one. His life was different. And some time later, he had realized that others pitied him for it.

And now he was staying with his foster family, the Mitchells… Debbie was making breakfast and asking after school, Martin showed him how to look after his Dad's truck and bike and called him from the grocery store to ask, if he needed something.

It was like a childhood dream come true. Except it wasn't his Dad, his Mom or Jellybean in the house. He had been here for weeks now, but that strange feeling of surrealism, of living a stranger's dream, had never quite disappeared.

"Morning, Jughead.", Debbie smiled at him and handed him a plate of pancakes.

"Thanks. And good morning.", he replied and took his usual seat. He was the first one down, like every morning. Except of course for Martin, who was reading his paper, but nodded at Jughead in greeting.

Weird. Totally weird.

Martin and Debbie were in their mid-fifties, their three own boys had left home already and Jughead knew that their oldest, Billy, was living in West-Virginia. And with all their kids far away, the two had decided to take in foster children.

"I always wanted a girl.", Martin had admitted to Jughead the week before, "But we decided to stick with what we know best."

"Will you be home tonight for movie night?", Debbie asked him from behind the counter.

They had movie night every friday, but Jughead hadn't attended once. It all felt way too… domestic for his tastes.

"I am meeting Betty tonight.", he explained, cutting into his pancakes. Debbie's face fell a little in disappointment, but she didn't say anything.

"Why don't you bring her?", Martin asked and Jughead's head shot up.

"What?"

"Your girlfriend. Why don't you bring her? Maybe she'd like to watch a nice movie. It'd be your turn to choose, if you joined. We'll have something nice for Dinner. What's her favourite?"

Jughead felt torn. They were nice, really nice. But he hadn't brought Betty over yet. He spend time at her house, or at the trailer… with Archie and Veronica… maybe it was just habit, from when he didn't have a place to take anyone to.

"I'll ask.", he relented carefully.

"Oh, how nice.", Debbie smiled, "But please remember that Dylan is only 11. So take care what movie you choose."

Dylan was the youngest of the three boys the Mitchells had taken in. He was an energetic boy with a bright smile, who thought Jughead was the coolest person ever.

"Great. Now that that is taken care of, I think there is something else we'll have to talk about.", Martin started and put his paper down. Jughead felt his back go rigid. Not good. Not good. Get out!, a voice in his head was screaming. Debbie switched off the stove and set down between Jughead and her husband. It wasn't her usual seat and Jughead immediately recognized it as the gesture it was: Not sitting as a front opposite him. Oh, he thought, they are GOOD.

"It's about Tristan.", Debbie admitted carefully. Jughead sighed.

"It looks like this isn't news to you.", Martin told him pointedly.

Tristan was 16 and in the same grade as Jughead. They had started out friendly enough, but... well.

"Did something happen between you two?", Debbie asked carefully, "I will admit that we talked to Tristan yesterday, but he didn't say."

Jughead was weighing his options. He could feign ignorance. But somehow that felt wrong.

"He… doesn't like some of my friends.", he opted for instead, hoping they wouldn't want to hear the whole story.  
"Your friends?", Martin's brow creased, "I thought you spend most of your time with Betty and the Andrews and Lodge kid."

"I do.", Jughead admitted slowly, "But he saw me last week, spending some time with some of my… of my Dad's friends."

They threw each other worried glances. But, Jughead noticed, they didn't seem too surprised.

"Did those friends happen to be wearing leather jackets with snakes on them?", Martin asked him frankly.

Jughead nodded. This was it, he knew, they'd call social services and send him away. A Serpent. They couldn't have that. Not in their home, where Tristan was now afraid of him and sweet, innocent Dylan really needed better role models.

"Jughead…", Debbie started and Jughead closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to come, "Listen. We do know about your Dad. Of course we do. And we aren't blind. We tried telling Tristan that, too, but he might need some time."

Jughead opened his eyes and stared at her.

"What?"

"We have lived here long enough to know what the Serpents are and what they aren't. And we also know that…", Martin stopped and gave Debbie a worried look, "We know that things haven't been easy for you. With your Dad away. You coming here, moving schools… and we also realize that you have probably known a lot of the Serpents all your life. We don't want to judge you for it, Jughead."

"Just be careful.", Debbie told him wide-eyed, "The mood is not good right now. The Sheriff. The attacks. And then the death of poor Fred Andrews. People are out for blood, Jughead, and we'd hate for you to get caught between that."

He was staring at them in shock. They… they weren't just kicking him out?

"Tristan will come around. As soon as he realizes you are not a drug selling criminal. He hasn't had the chance yet, to figure out the difference between what the mayor is telling people and what is really true.", Martin continued, "But people are noticing. Most folks I know around here have read your girl's article on your dad. Can't imagine that has been easy for her."

"No.", Jughead finally broke his silence, "School has gotten worse for her."

"And you can't be there to help. I am sorry, Jughead, that must really be a horrible feeling.", Debbie told him, reaching for his hand, "Which is also why we'd like to meet her. We want her to know that she's welcome here."

"I'll ask.", Jughead repeated, "Thank you. I…"

Right at that moment Dylan bolted down the stairs and Debbie got up, as if to hide the fact that there had been a serious discussion going on seconds before.

"Hullo!", Dylan grinned, taking Debbie's vacated seat.

"There you go, Buddy.", Debbie smiled and put a plate down in front of him.

"Is Tristan up yet?", Martin asked.

"Oh yeah, heard him showering.", Dylan informed them through a mouth full of pancake.

Jughead finished his breakfast and got up to put the plate into the dishwasher.

"Thank you, dear."

"I'll already head towards school.", Jughead informed them. "Some stuff to do before first period."

"Sure. Have a nice day!", Debbie touched his arm, when he turned to get his back.

"Bye!", Martin and Dylan called after him in unison.

Jughead had made it out of the door, when he took his phone out and rang Betty.

"So… I have a request for tonight."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Betty had seemed thrilled at the idea of meeting the Mitchells and so Jughead found himself taking her back to the house for dinner.

He should really be cooler with this. He had been okay with taking his Dad to Dinner with Alice Cooper, why was this so hard?

Debbie had actually called him during lunch to ask what exactly she should cook for Betty, excited to hear that the girl had agreed.

"Don't worry about it. Betty isn't that complicated when it comes to food.", Jughead had tried to reassure her, but he was pretty sure, Debbie would still go all out for dinner.

Jughead smiled at Betty, when they came to stop in front of the door.

She looked amazing, but that fact was more worrying than anything else to Jughead. Her makeup was on point, her ponytail extra bouncy and her clothes looked freshly ironed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Betty used her clothes as a defense and that her level of preparation meant she was extra nervous. By now Jughead really wondered how he had never noticed that before. How he had not seen how much she was trying to be perfect and how little she let others see her true self.

"Ready?", he asked and she pulled her ponytail tighter.

"Ready."

He opened the door and was almost run over by an excited Dylan.

"Hi Jughead, hi! You must be Betty!"

"Yes. Betty, this is Dylan. Dylan, Betty."

"Hello Dylan, nice to meet you.", Betty smiled at him.

"Dylan, let them come in first, please.", Jughead heard Martin from the top of the stairs.

Martin's efforts for a good upbringing where thwarted by Debbie, though, who hurried out of the kitchen and came to an excited stop in front of the two teens.

"Hello Betty, it is so nice to finally meet you!", she smiled and for a moment Jughead was sure she was going to embrace Betty. Instead she decided to shake her hand almost violently. Oh well, Jughead thought, at least Betty could be sure that she was welcome.

"Hello, Mrs Mitchell, Mr Mitchell, it is so nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you.", Betty smiled and reached into her bag and pulled out a box of chocolate and a bottle of red wine.

Jughead stared at her in awe. When exactly had she managed to get those?!

Debbie actually blushed.

Jughead had trouble containing his eyeroll. This was way out of his comfort zone, but he did then have to laugh, when Betty reached into her bag again and pulled out a small paper bag she handed to Dylan.

"Jughead told me, you might enjoy this."

Dylan carefully reached into the bag and pulled out a comic book.

"Thanks!", he shouted and hugged her enthusiastically, before bolting off to read.

Debbie looked even more excited now. Jughead more uncomfortable. Having dinner with Alice Cooper and his Dad had been okay. It had even made him happy then. But much had happened since then and Jughead couldn't shake the feeling that this might be a bad idea.

"We are having meatballs tonight, I hope that's fine?", Debbie asked and Betty gave her a big and honest smile.

"That's perfect!"

"Meatballs?", Jughead asked Martin almost inaudibly, as they followed the other two into the kitchen.

"Debbie wanted to go all out. She asked me to buy selmon. I told her that might be a bit much. We settled on meatballs.", Martin explained.

"Much better.", Jughead agreed.

Dinner was actually quite the pleasant affair. Although Debbie looked really sad, when she told them Tristan was having dinner at a friend's house. Still avoiding him then.

"What movie did you guys choose?", Dylan asked impatiently, when he had finished his plate.

"I was in the mood for something nice and easy.", Betty explained and smiled at Jughead, "So we brought How to Train Your Dragon."

"Oh, I don't know that one.", Martin admitted, "I am really looking forward to it."

They all got settled in the living room and Dylan boldly decided he'd get to sit with Betty and Jughead, Martin shook his head in exasperation.

Jughead put his arm around Betty and she leaned into his chest, the popcorn Debbie had made resting on his lap.

Jughead had to admit, in the end, that this might have been one of the best evenings of his life. They watched the movie together, laughed and smiled and Jughead felt a deep fear settle in his chest. This was all too good, too great. It would never last. Not for him. Someone like Jughead Jones didn't get perfect.

"I'll take Betty home.", Jughead declared after the movie had ended and they said their goodbyes.

"It was so nice of you to come.", Debbie smiled.

"No, it was nice of you to have me.", Betty laughed, "I had a very nice evening."

"That was…", Jughead started, when they both set inside the truck.

"Nice?", Betty finished for him and laughed.

"Nice.", he agreed, "Home?"

"Trailer?", she grinned at him.

"Trailer."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"What are you doing?", he asked sleepily, as Betty got up early in the morning.

"I have a paper to research. Sorry, but I'll have to get at least some work done today.", Betty bend over the bed and gave him a quick kiss.

"Then let me drive you.", he started and got out of bed.

"No, no, it's fine. The weather is so nice. I'd much rather walk and savour it a bit."

"If you're sure…", Jughead trailed off.

"I am. See you tonight? Milkshakes with Archie and Veronica?"

"It's a date.", he grinned and fell back into bed, when Betty left the trailer.


	3. The one with some major decisions

So... this is kinda spiraling out of control o.O I will have to slit up the parts... so more chapters

 **The one with some major decisions**

"Hey guys", Jughead greeted, as he slipped into the booth opposite Archie and Veronica.

It had been strange, at first, to come back here. But Archie had argued that he wouldn't let a murderer take away one of his favourite places on earth and the others had agreed, everyone really wanting to go back but no one knowing how to bring up the subject. It was still a little strange, Jughead admitted, but Pop's had been his safe haven, his sanctuary for a long time and sometimes… well, sometimes he suspected Archie might have argued his point so vehemently, because he knew that, too.

"Where's Betty?", Archie asked, turning around to look at the door.

"She has a project to prepare, but she said she'd be here.", Jughead explained, slightly fidgeting in his seat. He'd already been late and normally Betty was really punctual.

"What project?", Veronica asked him, her brow creased in confusion.

"I don't know.", Jughead shrugged, trying not to show how much it bothered him that he didn't know these things anymore.

"Nevermind then.", Veronica smiled nonchalantly, but Jughead could see her giving Archie a telling look.

He thought about calling them out on their behaviour, but he really wasn't in the mood to waste that energy.

"Is that…", Archie started and his face moved towards the window.

"Siren.", Jughead agreed, the latent feeling of worry he'd had all day hitting him in the stomach.

Veronica grabbed Archie's arm, as he wanted to leave the booth.

"That doesn't mean anything.", she told them, her voice calm and strong, "Could by anything."

Jughead took out his phone nonetheless. Betty didn't pick up, his phone going to voicemail. No one spoke. Archie took out his phone as well, looking at it with hope and fear at the same time.

Veronica's phone, now on the table as well, vibrated and Jughead almost threw his cell up in the air in shock. He didn't think he'd ever seen Veronica move so fast.

"Cheryl.", she told them, now really worried and uncertain sounding, "We have plans for tomorrow."

Jughead dialed Betty's number again. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Yes?"

"Who is this?", Jughead asked, his voice sounding much higher than he was comfortable with.

"Sir?", the other person, a young man by the sound of it, answered, "Can you tell me who this phone belongs to?"

No. Jughead couldn't. He felt… like the morning Fred Andrews had died. Petrified. Frozen. Like there was water all around him, stopping him from moving.

"Sir?", the voice asked again, more urgently now, but Jughead didn't really hear it anymore. His head was filled with the memory of this morning. Betty saying goodbye. How happy they'd been the evening before. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.

Veronica reached across the table and to snatch the phone out of his hand and a sudden thought struck Jughead: No. You can't fall apart. You can't freeze. Betty isn't here. This is your job now. Be strong for Betty.

Archie had grabbed his hand. He was squeezing it painfully.

"Elisabeth Cooper.", he heard Veronica say and got up.

"Juggie?", Archie asked, sounding dumbfounded.

"We are going to the hospital.", he replied at the same time Veronica ended the call.

"What did they say?", he asked, scared at how calm he sounded.

"To go to the hospital.", Veronica was chewing her lip and almost pushed Archie out of the booth, who was looking almost as dated as Jughead had felt at first.

Jughead toob Archie's arm.

"Let's move. It's a thirty minute walk. How about we get it done in 20?"

Archie and Veronica were both staring at him with disbelief, but Jughead didn't care.

One problem frist. Get to Betty. The rest could later.

The trio left Pop's in a hurry that made the other patrons look after them. They'd know soon enough. Riverdale wasn't that big.

"Juggie?", Archie tried talking to him once, but Jughead wasn't really in the mood to talk. Betty, he thought. Why? Why had he been so stupid? He should have taken her home this morning. He should have gone and gotten her that night. What was it all for, if not to protect Betty?

They had walked for about five minutes, the clicking of Veronica's shoes the only sound between them, when a car came to a screeching halt next to them. Jughead turned his head, looking into the stony face of Alice Cooper through the open window of the family's car.

"Jughead! Get inside. We don't have enough space to take you all."

Jughead blinked.

"Jughead. Now!", she told him impatiently.

"Yes. Thanks.", he told her blankly, not even looking at his friends before he opened the door and slit inside to sit next to a now much more pregnant looking Polly.

Mr Cooper hardly waited for Jughead to close his door, before he sped off again.

Polly took his hand and smiled encouragingly at Jughead.

"It's gonna be fine.", she told him, "I know it. Betty is…"

"Stronger than all of us.", he agreed, "Stronger than all the white noise."

Polly smiled at him, "Strange way to say it, but yes."

By the time they reached the hospital, Polly had obviously decided that since he was a. Betty's boyfriend and had b. helped to find Jason's killer, it was now okay to hold his hand for comfort.

Riverdale's small hospital was buzzing with excitement. Normally, nothing much happened here, but in the past couple of months injuries and attacks, especially on the southside of town, had been on the rise, and know Betty… what had happened to Betty? Jughead really wished he'd asked the man on the phone. It took more than an hour before someone could even tell them anything. And Jughead got that, he really did, they were busy, but he had never felt so useless. And that was saying something.

Archie and Veronica had gotten there on foot, maybe 30 minutes after the Coopers and had tried talking to him, but Jughead found himself looking after Polly instead, who was slowly walking up and down the corridor. Sitting, Jughead learned, didn't really agree with her pregnancy at the moment.

So instead she walked. And Jughead walked with her, just… because.

"Polly…", he started, finally finding the courage to ask what exactly they'd been told about Betty, but he was interrupted by the arrival of a doctor.

"Betty Cooper's family?", he asked with a certainty, that made Jughead sure he already knew who they were. Jughead forgot sometimes, that his girlfriend's family was known throughout the town. They owned the paper… they had been in the midst of everything that had been going on lately.

The doctor looked at him and frowned. Ah, Jughead thought, he knows who I am, too.

"Yes, we are.", Mr Cooper answered the doctor's question.

"All of you?", he asked, giving a pointed look towards the group of teenagers.

Mrs Cooper looked at him like she was prepared to rip his head off, so he didn't wait for an answer.

"My name is Doctor Traube, I am in charge of Betty's care."

"How is she? What happened?", Mrs Cooper asked, her voice much calmer than Jughead would have expected. But then again, they'd all had an hour to try and collect themselves.

"Betty was found with a severe head wound. It looks like she either fell or was pushed and hit a stone. But that is a question for the Sheriff, I am afraid. There is, sadly, some swelling to the brain, so we had no other choice but to induce an artificial coma to combat possible brain damage."

Polly gave a loud, shocked sob and buried her head in Jughead's jacket, who threw his arms around her on instinct. He couldn't fall apart, he remembered, he didn't have Betty to be the strong part right now. He'd need to be strong for her.

"It's gonna be okay.", he softly told Polly, her baby belly forcing him to lean forward a bit, "I know it. I do. She is going to be okay."

Doctor Traube gave him a calculating glance: "I can tell you that Betty is not in immediate danger. She is in critical, but stable condition. The coma is a precaution, if everything goes as we hope, it is very much possible that she is going to make a full recovery."

'If everything goes as we hope', Jughead thought those words might haunt him forever.

It took another hour before a nurse came back down and told them they could see Betty.

"Immediate family only."; she told them sternly, when they all got up. Jughead felt his breath hitch. No. He really needed to see Betty, needed to see for himself that…

"That's us four then."; Mrs Cooper declared. Her husband made a sort of strangled wheezing sound, didn't correct her though.

Jughead gave a quick and surprised wave to Archie and Veronica, as Polly and Mrs Cooper dragged him along.

Immediate family. He was Betty's immediate family.

Betty was dwarfed, really, by all the machines around her. Her head was heavily bandaged, her face pale. The heart monitor giving of a steady sound and, worst of all, a breathing tube down her throat.

The nurse left them alone and they were all just standing there, too shocked to move. Carefully Mrs Cooper walked over and caressed Betty's hand. Jughead walked around the bed, dragging one of the chairs behind him and sitting down, carefully taking Betty's other hand.

The first one to actually make a sound was, rather unexpectedly, Mr Cooper, who stood at the foot of Betty's bed and started to cry.

"How did this happen?", he asked, "How?"

Polly walked over and hugged her father.

"We'll find out, Dad, Dr Traube said the Sheriff would be here in the morning."

"Did she spend the day with you?", Mrs Cooper asked Jughead.

"No. She said she had some research to do.", he shook his head.

"Research?", Betty's mom looked alarmed, "What kind of research?"

"I don't know. School, I thought, she said something about a paper."

Her face darkened. "A paper.", she echoed, looking into Betty's pale face, "For school or to publish online again?"

Jughead froze. He hadn't even thought of that, to be honest. He had assumed it was for school, but… Betty had continued to write about Riverdale. About the attacks on the southside of town… about the mayor. One very memorable piece had been titled 'The Scape Serpents'. Jughead would have found Betty's newfound scathing articles much more enjoyable, if that didn't put her in constant danger.

"You don't know? I thought you two mostly did your… sleuthing together?"

"We do.", Jughead admitted, "But as far as I know, Betty isn't looking into anything right now."

He felt like a failure. Was Betty investigating something on her own? Why didn't she tell him? Had she stumbled onto something? Had someone attacked her for it? He pulled up Betty's hand to kiss it and frowned. Something was wrong. Carefully he turned her left hand in his and saw the deep, new cuts inside her palm. This had NOT been an accident.

They set in silence again after that. No one spoke. Their phones switched off. Just looking at Betty, at her heart monitor. Jughead thought he might go insane.

He felt himself go numb, not sleeping, really… just… his brain going into standby.

"Jughead?", Mr Cooper's voice startled him what was probably hours later, "It's past midnight. I'll take Polly home. Do you need me to give you a lift?"

"No. I… can I stay?", he asked, hating how tiny his voice sounded.

"I don't... ", Mr Cooper started, but again his wife interrupted him: "I am staying the night, we'll take shifts. You can stay here with me, if you like."

Jughead was torn between being relieved and really confused about Mrs Cooper's behaviour. He didn't know what to make of it. She had been friendly enough before, but the whole fake dinner thing and… he was never quite sure just how much he could trust her when it came to him.

"Thank you.", he told her. And he really meant it.

"But you should go outside for a moment. Check your phone. Call… the Mitchells, right?"

Jughead nodded at her and left the room with both Polly and Mr Cooper. They said goodbye and standing outside in the cold, clear air, Jughead felt like he could breathe for the first time in hours. He just stood there, unmoving for ten minutes, before he pulled out his cell. He had more messages than expected, not just Archie, Veronica and the Mitchells, but even Kevin, Cheryl and… Julius.

He called Martin first, expecting him to be up and waiting for a call before going to bed.

Martin and Debbie had heard about Betty's attack on the radio. So they had labeled it an attack then? Certainly no one had told Betty's family about that. Jughead could hardly stop himself from throwing his phone away in anger.

He called Archie after, telling him there was no news and asking him to call the others. He didn't feel like listening to all their questions, worries and… all their pity.

In the end he spend his night on two really uncomfortable chairs. One to sit on and one for his feet.

He remembered looking at his watch at 5 am, but after that he must have fallen asleep, despite all the hustle that must have gone on at some point. Apparently he even slept right over morning rounds.

He woke up covered with a blanket and with Mr Cooper as company. He had missed the night shift leaving as well.

"Sorry for falling asleep."

"Don't be. It's been a long night."

Jughead nodded carefully.

"But I think you should go home now."

When he opened his mouth to protest, Mr Cooper interrupted him.

"Go home. Get a few hours of real sleep, something to eat. Maybe a shower. This is not a sprint, Jughead, this might very well be a marathon."

His voice was unexpectedly kind and Jughead had to admit the man might have a point, he got up and pressed a soft kiss on Betty's unbandaged brow, before he stepped outside.

He'd been wrong, Mrs Cooper hadn't left yet, she was standing outside, talking to Sheriff Keller.

"You can't do that!", she just hissed angrily.

Jughead halted his steps. Do what?

"We do not have enough evidence for anything right now."; the Sheriff answered in that fake calm voice Jughead hated so much.

"You have an eyewitness."

"We have a nine year old who says he might have seen a face."

"And did you ask him to identify that attacker? Did you show him…"

"Mrs Cooper, I know this is hard. We have talked to the boy about what he saw, but he is certainly not the most reliable witness and…"

"What?", Mrs Cooper's voice was probably able to freeze the room around them, "Was it some rich kid and you don't want to follow up?"

Sheriff Keller now turned red, breathing heavily, "I know you work for the paper, but we can't just go and take everything some KID says for granted. It would never hold up in court. We can't just…"

"Do you realize what this will do?", Mrs Cooper asked, "My daughter had been publishing articles on social injustice in Riverdale for WEEKS. Now she got attacked and put in a COMA and you won't even follow up on a eyewitness? Is he maybe not exactly up to your social standards? Do you even care what will happen next? How this will look? What message you are sending? Riverdale will tear itself apart."

"I think you might be grossly overestimating your daughter's importance."

Jughead was convinced Mrs Cooper would full on explode now, but instead she just smiled at Sheriff Keller, as if she was pitying him.

"Ready to leave, Jughead?", she asked and gave him a tired smile, "I'll drive you home."

Without waiting for him or Sheriff Keller to respond, she took his arm and lead him outside and to her car.

"I don't know where exactly the Mitchells live. You'll have to give me directions."

"Okay.", was all Jughead managed to say, his head still reeling with what he'd just heard.

They spend the car ride in silence, but it was a rather comfortable one. Like there was nothing really left for them to say.

"Jughead…", Mrs Cooper started, when she stopped in front of the house, but she stopped, looked at the house and then smiled tiredly at him, "Thank you."

"For what?", he asked, surprised.

"Everything, really. You make Betty really happy. Despite what is going on around her."

Jughead would have loved to respond to that, but he didn't really know how. So he gave her a nodd instead, but she seemed to understand him just fine. He stood on the sidewalk and watched her speed away.

He thought about going inside, instead sitting down on the front steps and just breathing in the fresh air, breathing and thinking about what he had just heard. And seen. Someone had attacked Betty and judging by her palm, it had not started out with violence. Maybe it had nothing to do with her investigating a story. The memory of Betty's locker and pig's blood came to mind.

He had been sitting there for about half an hour when Martin, Tristan and Dylan left the house.

"Jughead!", Dylan screeched, "You are home! How's Betty? Is she awake yet?"

"Dylan.", Martin stopped his rant, his voice unusually sharp.

"Sorry.", Dylan looked down at his shoes.

"No.", Jughead chose to answer his question, "She's not awake yet. But I really need some sleep."

"Debbie probably has some food left for you.", Martin told him calmly, squeezing his shoulder in support, "I called your school and told them you wouldn't be in for a couple of days."

"Thanks."

"Jughead…", Tristan started carefully, when another voice interrupted them.

"Jughead, you got a minute?"

It was Julius, one of the Serpents, Danny standing awkwardly next to him.

Martin's brow creased in worry, he looked at Jughead questioningly.

Jughead just nodded at him tiredly, "It's fine."

"Alright. Time for school. Dylan, Tristan, in the car."

"But…", Dylan started, but Martin simply pushed him away. Tristan followed with one last sullen look towards Jughead and his guests.

"We heard what happened to your girl. It's not right.", Julius said.

Jughead couldn't help it: He laughed.

"True", he said, "I actually think it's phenomenally wrong."

"She seems like a nice girl. And she has been sticking up for us a lot. Can't have been easy for her. I read all her stuff online. People must have been giving her a hard time."

"Yes.", was all Jughead trusted himself to say, "After that first article, someone wrote 'Go to hell, Serpent slut' on her locker. In pig's blood."

Julius made a whistling sound with his teeth.

"Still she didn't step back though. Why is that?"

"Because she sticks up for what's right.", Jughead told him, his voice strong and oddly proud.

"Thought so."

Silence.

"I am sorry, Jughead, that I couldn't help her.", Danny piped up and Jughead's head turned around.

"Help her? Why… oh. You are the witness."

"Yeah.", Danny admitted nervously.

"Tell him what you saw, Danny.", Julius told him kindly.

"There were four of them. They all wore dark hoodies, I couldn't see their faces. It was already too dark. They were taunting Betty, calling her names.. calling her a traitor and crazy. Betty didn't even respond. She just stood there."

Jughead could imagine it all too well. Betty, standing there, just taking it, her nails no doubt cutting deep into her hands.

"What happened next?", he asked, his voice sounding husky.

"The leader, the one that did all the talking, he said something about Polly and Betty just took her bag and hit him in the head, his hood came off… and I saw his face… then he pushed Betty really hard and she fell to the floor. They ran off and I went to make sure she was fine. But… there was so much blood and she wouldn't open her eyes. So I ran to the shop and told them to call 911."

Jughead really felt like punching someone right about then. Hard.

"Danny here told all that to the Sheriff, but he said it was too dark for Danny to really have seen anything.", Julius explained, "But it sounds like Betty knew her attackers."

"Would recognize the guy that pushed her, Danny?", Jughead asked carefully.

"Yes."

"Give me a second.", he told them and got up, running through the front door.

"Jughead?", he heard Debbie call, but he ignored her, running into his room and fetching his year book.

He had a very, very bad idea about this.

"You see him?", he asked Danny, when he had made it back outside and pushed the book into the boy's hands.

Danny opened it carefully, as if not to miss anything.

"Yes. Him.", he said and pointed, just as Jughead had expected, to Chuck Clayton.

"Chuck Clayton.", Julius read out loud, "You know him?"

"Yeah. He used to be on the football team. Betty got him kicked off for sexual harassment."

Julius made that whistling sound again.

"Sounds like a charmer."

"Thank you, Danny, for telling me. I'll tell Betty's parents later. They own the paper. Maybe they'll wanna talk to you."

"Sure.", Danny agreed, but he was looking uncomfortably at Julius.

"Yes. Maybe.", Julius agreed, "Get some sleep in, Jughead. I am sure you're gonna go back to the hospital later."

"Yeah. I think I am going to spend the night again."

Only when the two had left and he was inside the house, closing the door behind him, did he think that he might just have made a grave mistake.


	4. The one with the major attacks

Hello everyone! For some reason this story keeps on getting a bit longer than I expected for a little side project o.O Things keep happening!

 **The one with the major attacks**

Martin was right, of course: Debbie had pancakes ready and Jughead ate almost all of them. Not that he was really hungry, but eating gave him something to so. Debbie didn't ask him any questions and Jughead loved her for it. His meeting with Julius had left him reeling and something was burning in his chest, like a dark, cold fire. Chuck Clayton. Chuck fucking Clayton.

Before he even knew what was happening, before he had even made that decisions, he threw his plate against the kitchen wall in anger, standing on his feet and feeling his nails dig into his palms. It was the first time he thought he might understand what Betty was doing.

Debbie hurried past him, broom in hand. It was the sight of her strangely calm face that made Jughead move again.

"Debbie, I am so sorry. Let me… I… I will buy a new plate.", he rambled.

"Don't worry about it.", she told him, her voice overly cheerful, "There are worse things to break today than plates."

"Still…", he tried, but Debbie wouldn't have it.

"No, dear, you go shower and then off to bed, really, don't worry about anything at home."

Home. What a strange concept.

Still, Jughead went upstairs and took the longest shower of his life, before making his way up to the attic Martin and Debbie had given to him as a bedroom. It had been Billy's once and was the most space Jughead had ever had for himself, while simultaneously still being very cozy. It was all very strange, how one part of his life seemed so… great and everything else just… not.

"Where are you going?", Debbie asked, when he made his way down several hours later. He had slept a little, although poorly.

"Hospital.", Jughead told her.

"Alice Cooper called earlier. She said they'd be trying to sit with Betty in turns and if, for now, you could maybe come in at night."

"Okay…"

"I told her I wasn't sure about school, but she said the doctor thinks the coma is probably not going to be necessary for more than a week."

A week, Jughead thought, sighing a little. He would be able to talk to Betty again in one week.

"Why don't you try and relax a bit? Rest? Or maybe call your other friends?"

Jughead didn't really feel like that, but Debbie was looking at him with such hope that he just felt his resistance melt away.

"Okay.", was all he replied, but Debbie beamed at him. Jughead send a quick 'Pop's?' to Archie, who replied almost immediately 'On our way'.

Debbie offered to drive him. Jughead felt more like walking, but Debbie's offer quickly turned to insistence, claiming he would leave his friends waiting otherwise. When she dropped him off, she pressed a backpack into his hands and made him promise to take it with him. "You'll need it.", she said. Jughead didn't even look inside, before he thanked her and headed inside.

Archie and Veronica were already waiting for him, two milkshakes in front of them. They were both looking pale and tired. Sleeplessness seemed to be epidemic right then.

"Jug.", Archie started, before giving up and hugging him instead.

Pop, obviously seeing Jughead arrive, walked over and didn't say anything, but he did put a milkshake down on the table and gave Jughead's shoulder a quick squeeze, before walking off. Jughead nodded at him, but Pop wasn't waiting for a reply and Jughead was really thankful for it.

"How are you doing, Jug?", Archie asked, as they both set back down.

"Peachy.", he quipped, before realizing it was unfair to punish Archie for anything, "Sorry, man. I am just tired."

"I went to the blue and gold.", Veronica started carefully, giving Archie a careful look, "I think I found the research Betty was doing."

"Oh no.", Archie groaned.

"She was looking into the attacks on the Southside, I found some official reports and a lot of emails. I think…"

"What?", Jughead asked, when Veronica bit her lip and stopped.

"People kept sending her emails about what happened to them. Hate Mail, too. But mostly people telling their stories."

"Why?", Archie asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Normally Jughead would have laughed at him. It was so obvious, really.

"Because Betty kept writing. And a lot of people in this town think no one is listening to them right now. No one, but Betty.", he mumbled, stirring his milkshake. It was vanilla today. Not his usual. Betty's.

"How did it ever come to this?", Veronica asked, her voice sounding heavy with tears. She rested her head on Archie's shoulder, who in turn rested his cheek on her hair. Jughead felt like running off. He hated seeing them like that, with Betty… not there.

"You think that's why someone attacked her?", Archie asked, his eyes full of the same anger that had once made him march into the bar of the local biker gang.

Jughead opened his mouth to tell them what he had found out, but then he stopped. What would Archie do, if he knew? No, he thought, he couldn't tell Archie. He couldn't tell anyone. Not if…

"Hi."

The three turned around to see Cheryl not far from the booth, her eyes trained on Jughead.

"I saw you from outside and just wanted to say that… I am sorry. For what happened. If you need anything… If Betty needs anything. You tell me."

"Thank you.", Jughead answered, sounding slightly dazed, he realized.

Cheryl nodded at them and left without another word.

"That was… strange."

"It was nice.", Veronica corrected him, "She is trying."

"Yeah."

Betty's possible attacker didn't come up again after that. Archie and Veronica were obviously trying to distract him and Jughead let them believe they had succeeded. He had learned a long time ago that pretending was easier sometimes. Normally Jughead hated pretending. He had tried it as a kid, to fit in, to be more normal. Now he took some pride in the fact that he didn't try to be something he was not. But for today, at least, he could do it, if it meant making Archie feel better for a bit.

They set together like that for a couple of hours, talking about nothing in particular. Archie was still talking to his mother, more determined than ever NOT to leave Riverdale, even so she really wanted him away from everything going on.

Veronica was trying to find a rhythm with her father again, a routine, but she feared that too much had happened between them.

"I can't get over him threatening me to testify on his behalf.", she admitted sadly.

Jughead thought of his own mother for a second. He hadn't called her since that night at the bus station and she hadn't tried contacting him either. His gaze landed on the backpack placed next to him. He reached over and opened it. There was some bottled water inside, a book, a blanket and a pillow. He looked at it in disbelief.

"What is it?", Archie asked, but Jughead didn't find the words to reply.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mr Cooper was sitting next to Betty's bed when Jughead arrived that evening, newspaper in hand and reading out loud.

"Evening, Jughead.", he said, "I am almost done with today's paper."

Jughead walked back to his chair from the day before, awkwardly waiting. He had spend at least some time with Mrs Cooper now, but Betty's dad was still a complete unknown to him.

"Anything new?", he asked quietly, as Mr Cooper got up, throwing the now read paper into the bin next to the door.

"The swelling is down a little, that's good. They'll lower the dose soon, then it will take some time to get out of her system."

They were silent after that. Mr Cooper took his briefcase and placed a careful kiss on Betty's brow, before giving Jughead an unsure nodd. Apparently he didn't know what to do with his daughter's boyfriend, either.

"Hey Betts, so… I went out for milkshakes with Archie and Veronica today…"

He was still sitting there when Alice Cooper arrived in the morning. Debbie's pillow supporting his back, the blanket draped all around him and the book open on his knees. He had followed Mr Cooper's example and read to her. 'How green was my valley'

Judging by the scribbled 'Billy Mitchell' inside, it had belonged to their oldest.

"Good morning, Jughead.", Mrs Cooper gave him a genuine smile and squeezed his shoulder, "I am sorry you got stuck with the night shift, but with work and Polly and…"

"It's fine.", he interrupted her, "I don't mind. I wasn't tired, but I can literally sleep anywhere."

Of course he could, he had needed that skill far more in his young life than he should have.

"Thank you.", she smiled at him, "It won't be for too long. Once the swelling is down and they can wake her up, we can take her home."

He really hoped so.

"Are you calling Mrs Mitchell to come get you?", she asked, her worried eyes on him, "I can't drive you today."

Jughead blinked. Since when was Betty's Mom so concerned for him?

"No. I am walking over to Pop's. I am meeting Archie for breakfast."

She nodded carefully.

"How is Archie? Is he staying in Riverdale?"

"I… I don't know. He wants to. But his Mom… well, I don't think it got better after what happened to his Dad and now Betty."

She nodded gravely at him. "It's destroying lives. I… I told her not to publish it. I should have stopped her."

Jughead could see the tears running down her cheeks now. She looked so much like Betty then and there, that he reached over and took her hand.

"I don't think anyone could have stopped her. And what happened had nothing to do with Betty's articles."

"What? How…?", But before she could finish her question, there was a quick knock at the door, followed by Sheriff Keller entering.

"Sheriff. Is there any news?", she asked, brushing the tears away before she got up to face the Sheriff.

"No, Mrs Cooper, I am here on another matter."

"Something more important than the question of who attacked my daughter?", her voice was low, but so piercing Jughead felt like sitting up straight.

He ignored her.

"I need to talk to Jughead. Mind stepping outside?"

Jughead wanted to get up out of sheer habit, but Mrs Cooper's hand came to rest on his arm, stopping him.

"What is this about?"

"Mrs Cooper, that is really none of your business."

"Jughead is very much my business.", she disagreed, "And he is a minor, too, so no: he is not going anywhere."

Sheriff Keller gave a long suffering sigh.

"A kid was found dead this morning."

Jughead froze, his worst fears coming true.

"What?! Who?", Mrs Cooper asked, her grip on Jughead's arm tightening.

"Chuck Clayton. Someone beat him up badly and then hung him from a streetlamp. Right where Betty was attacked. Do you know anything about that, Jughead?"

Mrs Cooper turned around and looked Jughead straight in the eyes. He looked back without blinking. He saw something shift behind her eyes and found himself reminded of Betty once more. Strange, how he kept noticing the similarities more and more.

"Jughead was here all night, keeping Betty company. I really doubt he could have lynched a classmate.", she told Sheriff Keller sternly.

"No one things he did it himself."

Jughead froze. He knew. About Jughead and the Serpents. He knew.

"Get out.", Mrs Cooper told him.

"What? You have no right to…", but Mrs Cooper didn't let the Sheriff finish.

"Get out of my daughter's hospital room. And stay AWAY from Jughead."

"I am conducting an invest…"

"I don't care. You will NOT get to pin this on him. The next time you get anywhere near Jughead, I will republish EVERYTHING Betty ever wrote about how you and the mayor treat the Southside. And then I will finish with an article about how you had a witness to my daughter's attack but decided not to follow up. Why? Was he from the wrong side of town? Was he pointing towards one of the 'good kids'? Chuck Clayton, maybe? You think things in Riverdale are bad now?"

Sheriff Keller was looking at Alice Cooper as if he was seeing her for the first time and Jughead assumed he himself wasn't looking much better.

"Stop pinning everything in this town on someone called 'Jones' and then go and find out what really happened. Do your job instead of harassing teenagers."

Jughead was pretty sure the Sheriff had found his nemesis in Alice Cooper. He seemed to struggle for words, looking between Jughead and Mrs Cooper, whose hand was still firmly placed on his arm.

"This is not over.", he hissed, but Mrs Cooper didn't even dignify that with a response. Was that the third time now that Jughead had witnessed her leaving the Sheriff helpless? He thought so. Instead she turned back towards Jughead and smiled at him.

"Don't you have plans for breakfast? I'll drive you. We can leave Betty alone for a moment."

Before Jughead could protest, she started folding his blanket, placing it neatly next to his pillow on his chair.

"Will you need the book?", she asked him, the Sheriff still standing behind them,

"No…"

She placed it on the bedside table, then lifted Jughead's backpack, which he took from her reflexively. He managed to squeeze Betty's hand, before she took his arm again and actually dragged him past the Sheriff.

They only spoke when they were both seated in her car again.

"Don't ever speak to him alone, Jughead. You call me. Or Mary Andrews. Or even one of the Mitchells."

"I know."

"No. You don't. You think you know what this town is like, but you don't. Not yet. What can happen to… no. Just promise me."

"I promise.", and he meant it, too.

She dropped him off in front of Pop's without another word, before turning around and heading back to the hospital. Jughead stared after her for a bit, even though he could see Archie and Veronica watching him from inside.

"Have you heard?", Archie greeted him and Jughead sighed.

"Yes. And good morning to you, too." Jughead spend the next hour lying to his friends. Yes, he felt terrible about it, but there was NO way in hell he was telling Archie what had happened with Julius and Danny. He wa so tight lipped about the whole thing, that Archie and Veronica simply gave up talking to him altogether, instead talking more with each other instead. That was fine with Jughead, he was too busy with his own thoughts anyway.

"I can hear my bed calling.", Jughead informed them. They looked at him, as if they had forgotten he was even there.

"We can drive you.", Veronica offered, the SUV she liked to call 'Pearl' outside the window. Her Dad was really into buying her things.

"No. I'll walk."

"That's pretty far, man. Let us drive you.", Archie tried.

"No, Arch, I really want to walk."

"Maybe we can stop by and get your Dad's truck?", Veronica continued, "You can just drive to the hospital tonight."

Jughead blinked, their two eager faces trained on him.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing.", they said in unison, then turning red as they noticed how ridiculous they sounded.

"Spill."

"Jug. Man… it's bad. It's really bad. People are…"

"Angry and worried.", Veronica continued for him, "And Betty and you are smack in the middle of it. Please let us drive you. Please."

"No one is going to…"

But Veronica didn't let him finish, instead playing her final card: "I don't want Betty to wake up only to find out that something happened to you."

She had won and she damn well knew it.

"Fine. We can go and get my Dad's truck."

Veronica gave her a look that made Jughead think he was a dog, being praised for being a 'good boy'.

Riverdale actually DID seem much quieter than Jughead thought normal. The few people they actually saw hurried through the soft snow still lying thick. Maybe Jughead had underestimated what was going on. Mrs Cooper's words came back to him: " You think things in Riverdale are bad now?" He shuddered a bit into the warm coat Debbie had bought him and hoped he hadn't just pulled others down with him.

Archie and Veronica let him drive back from the trailer park by himself. It was quiet and empty there as well, with the Serpents the focus of a murder and drug investigation, people were trying not to attract too much attention.

He parked the truck in front of the house and made his way over. To Jughead's big surprise the door was locked, even though Debbie was home, sitting on the couch and watching the local news.

"Oh hi!", she smiled at him and switched the TV off. Jughead wasn't fooled. There had been a report about Chuck. But he didn't feel like talking anymore, so he gave her a quick update and headed upstairs and for bed.

He woke some time later to angry voices from downstairs.

Martin, Jughead realized with a start. He had never heard Martin like that before.

He put his Beanie on and some pants, before he made his way downstairs. Martin was standing with his back to the stairs, his hands angrily at his hips.

"He is asleep. He's had a tough few days.", Debbie tried, standing next to her husband.

Sheriff Keller was standing between them and the front door, flanked by two deputies and not looking the least bit impressed. He spotted Jughead first.

"Jughead. You need to come down to the station with me.", both Martin and Debbie turned around, looking at Jughead with worry in their eyes.

"Why?", he asked.

"We have a witness who claims he saw you talking to one of the Serpents yesterday. Talking about Betty Cooper."

Jughead saw Martin's face freeze in horror. Carefully Jughead turned around, seeing what Martin was looking at: Tristan was standing at the top of the stairs, scowling down at him.

"You called the Cops on me.", Jughead stated. It wasn't a question.

Tristan didn't object and Debbie gasped.

"Tristan? Why would… why would you do that?"

"Because he helped kill someone. I am not covering for him.", Tristan spat out and Debbie gave a soft whimper.

"The boy is right: You should have come forward.", the Sheriff told them angrily.

"Jughead didn't kill anyone. He was talking to a friend of his father's. That is all I knew and all that mattered. You can't…"

"It's okay, Martin.", Jughead stopped him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Martin visibly deflated, "It will be okay."

But Jughead didn't really believe that anyway.

The two deputies let him outside, past a stoic looking Debbie and one very angry Martin.

It was strange, really, Jughead thought. When he had been in a police car the last time, he had been nervous and worried, even though he knew he was innocent. This time? This time he was just tired. He rested his head on the window and closed his eyes, too emotionally exhausted for anything.

When they reached the small station, Jughead was more than surprised to see both Hal Cooper and Mary Andrews already waiting. Not as surprised apparently as Sheriff Keller was.

"What…"

"I am here as Jughead's lawyer.", Mrs Andrews told him brightly.

"And I am here for the paper.", Mr Cooper added, demonstratively pulling out pen and paper. Jughead really wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He… he had thought he didn't have anyone left but Betty and Archie, and now here they suddenly all were, with Martin and Debbie trying to protect him and the Coopers, Mrs Andrews… he couldn't remember the last time he had had that many people in his corner.

"Oh not you, too.", the Sheriff told Mr Cooper, looking somewhat betrayed.

"Alice told you to stay away from our family.", was all Mr Cooper said, "And I will be here once you are done with your questions to ask Jughead what exactly happened. And then I'll drive him home."

An hour later Jughead was standing back outside the station, flanked by the two parents of the people he cared about most in the world.

The Sheriff had asked him some question like who he had talked to (don't know the name. Friend of my Dad's) and what he knew about Chuck Clayton's death (nothing beyond what was on TV). The rest Mary Andrews managed to wriggle him out of. How would Jughead know that? Hearsay? What was wrong about a friend asking after someone's girlfriend? What did they even have on Jughead, other than one boy, who was obviously jealous of the new kid in his family? And one boy wasn't enough for an investigation anyway, she had heard. Jughead loved her more than ever in that instant.

Mr Cooper gave him a questioning look and Jughead nodded at him. It had been okay, he was allowed to go home.

"I'll drive you back then. The Mitchells are worried. They called Alice, who called me. I was at the hospital, so I could come here much quicker."

"What is Alice doing anyway? I forgot to ask earlier?", Mrs Andrews asked, her gaze slightly alarmed. Those two Moms didn't necessarily have the best relationship, Jughead knew, despite having been neighbours for ages.

"At the paper.", Mr Cooper told her and she nodded, but Jughead's head shot up in alarm.

"Do you even want to go back, Jughead? The mood might be tricky right now.", Mrs Andrews pointed out.

Jughead was staring at her. Right. Tristan had called the police on him… did he want to go back right then?

"You can come back with me.", Mrs Andrews offered, "I'll call the Mitchells, I am sure they'll understand. You can stay with Archie and then we'll see if everything has cooled down tomorrow."

"Things will not cool down tomorrow.", Mr Cooper told her ominously. She looked at him questioningly, but he didn't answer, instead giving the both of them friendly waves and heading towards his car. Once again Jughead was left to be driven by someone's Mom.

"Do you know what he was talking about?", Mrs Andrews asked, when she put the car in reverse later and drove them out of the parking lot.

"Mrs Cooper threatened to republish Betty's articles in the paper and then add one about her attack and how the Sheriff didn't follow up on it."

"She what?!"

"She told the Sheriff to stay away from me. I assume hauling me out of bed and dragging me down here doesn't qualify."

"No. Hal is right then, tomorrow people'll wake up and read that and… that woman."

"I don't even really know why. I don't think she even likes me.", he admitted. Mrs Andrews threw him a strange look, as if debating what to say next.

"It's no secret that Alice and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. But the one thing I was always sure about is how much she loves her girls. She might have a weird way of showing it sometimes, but she loves them very much. And I THINK… well, it's pretty obvious that Betty loves you. Now Betty was attacked and, in a way, so where you. So for Alice her family is under attack now. And apparently she has decided that includes you."

She stopped and Jughead just kept looking at her. Was that it? Had the Coopers decided he was there to stay anyway?

"Alice, for all her flaws and troubles, would rip the world apart for her family.", Mrs Andrews added.

"Like Betty.", Jughead told her, smiling a little, "Like Betty not stopping her articles or… or tutoring Archie so they would stay in the same grade."

"Now that you say it. Yes, like Betty."


End file.
